Young people from Crimea are massively receiving Ukrainian passports: patriotism or recognition of Ukraine's indisputable victory?

The Migration Service notes that residents of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea aged 19-25 arrive in mainland Ukraine to issue their first passport as a Ukrainian citizen.

To get to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, young Crimeans overcome a difficult path: they cross borders, including the borders of aggressor states, enter the territory of Ukraine through humanitarian corridors, having only a birth certificate or, at best, a passport of a Ukrainian citizen for travel abroad, issued before 2014.

During a conversation with the inhabitants of the peninsula, it turns out that they are not afraid of air raids, constant shelling and a dangerous situation throughout the country, for them the most important thing is to obtain a document confirming citizenship – a passport of a Ukrainian citizen.

What's most striking is their unwavering resolve. Despite the constant threat of air raids and shelling, they prioritize obtaining a document that confirms their Ukrainian citizenship—a passport of a Ukrainian citizen. Their determination stems from a desire to secure a brighter future, one that includes higher education and the opportunity to contribute to the rebuilding of Ukraine.

To the question “Why was a passport of a Ukrainian citizen not sought before the full-scale invasion?” young people most often explain that their parents did not support the decision to issue a passport when they reached the age of 14 or there was a difficult life situation, financial problems, etc.

However, there is also an objective reason why the number of Crimeans who want to document their identity with a Ukrainian passport has increased – the simplification of the procedure for registering documents during martial law. We are talking in particular about regulating the identification procedure, which is mandatory when issuing the first passport after the age of 18.

The issuance of a passport is preceded by a thorough inspection

In November 2022, Resolution No. 1220 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of October 28, 2022, entered into force, changing the procedure for establishing the identity and issuing a passport of a Ukrainian citizen during martial law.

In particular, if an application is submitted by a person who is over 18 years of age and does not have documents containing a photo card for the issuance of a passport of a citizen of Ukraine in his name, the procedure for establishing identity is by sending applications for verification of documents and information specified by the applicant to Minister of Justice, Police, DPS, educational institutions, military units, etc.

In the absence of documents with a photo obtained from registers and other information databases and based on the results of inspections from which it was not possible to establish the person's identity, the procedure for establishing the identity is carried out by interviewing witnesses. Witnesses may be able-bodied family members of a given person (including an ex-wife or husband), a close person or a neighbor who is over 14 years old and has an identity document.

In the beginning of 2023, the Migration Service of Kyiv and the region have organized over 250 videoconferences. These sessions have led to decisions granting Ukrainian passports to deserving citizens, easing their path to official recognition and citizenship.

The migration service is doing everything in its power, taking into account the individual situation of each Crimean citizen, so that Ukrainian citizens can exercise their right to obtain a passport.